America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted was a FOX network series created by Michael Linder & Stephen Chao, hosted by John Walsh. The show aired from February 7, 1988 to June 18, 2011; it was revived on the Lifetime network, airing from December 2, 2011 to October 12, 2012. Plot The series centered on bringing criminals to justice, missing children and victims' rights. The show featured reenactments of dangerous fugitives that are portrayed by actors, interspersed with on-camera interviews, with Walsh in a voiceover narration. Each episode also featured photographs of dangerous fugitives, as well a toll-free hotline number where viewers could give information at 1-800-CRIME-TV. Production The concept for "America's Most Wanted" originally came from a German show called "Aktenzeichen XY ... ungelöst" (or "File Reference XY ... Unsolved" in English), that first aired in 1967, and the British show "Crimewatch" (which first aired in 1984). The US version of "Crimewatch" was conceived by Fox executive Stephen Chao and Executive Producer Michael Linder in the summer of 1987. However, even earlier, CBS aired a three-month half-hour similar series hosted by Walter McGraw in the 1955–1956 season entitled "Wanted". While Linder was shooting the pilot episode in Indiana, Chao and Fox attorney Tom Herwitz conducted a hurried search for a host. Chao's first choice was former police officer and best-selling author Joseph Wambaugh, but Wambaugh refused, saying that he didn't believe a national dragnet would work in the United States. Chao also considered asking then-recently resigned U.S. Attorney (and future New York City mayor) Rudolph Giuliani, former Virginia governor Chuck Robb and former Oklahoma governor Bob Curry before deciding a politician might use the show as a platform for personal political ambitions. Other potential candidates for the show included former Marine Corps Commandant General P. X. Kelly, journalists Linda Ellerbee and Bob Woodward, and victims' advocate Theresa Saldana. Then, during a marathon telephone conference call, Herwitz suggested John Walsh. Walsh had gained publicity after his six-year-old son, Adam Walsh, was kidnapped and murdered in 1981. The crime had been the subject of the 1983 television film "Adam" and Walsh's later advocacy had resulted in new legislation to protect missing children as well as the creation of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. After lengthy discussions, Walsh agreed to host the pilot episode. "America's Most Wanted" debuted as a half-hour program on February 7, 1988 on seven Fox-owned stations. Within four days of the first broadcast, FBI "Ten Most Wanted Fugitive" David James Roberts was captured as a direct result; he was a convicted killer who had recently escaped from prison by digging his way out with a small axe. This demonstrated the effectiveness of the show's "Watch Television, Catch Criminals" premise to skeptical law enforcement agencies. Ten weeks later, the program premiered nationwide on the Fox network and became the fledgling network's first hit series. In 1990, the show's format was changed from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. The show was cut back to 30 minutes in 1995, and back to 60 minutes in 1996. From 1995 to 1996, a short-lived syndicated spinoff titled "America's Most Wanted: Final Justice" aired. The announcer heard on the show from 1996 to 2008 was the late voice-over artist Don LaFontaine; the first new episode aired after his death was dedicated to him. He was replaced by voice actor Wes Johnson, who served in the role until end of the show's run. 1996 cancellation and revival "America's Most Wanted" was canceled for a month and a half in the fall of 1996, per a decision made the previous spring in the wake of high production costs. In its place, Fox moved "Married... with Children "(which was entering what soon became its final season at the time) to 9/8c, with the new sitcom "Love and Marriage" following it at 9:30; "Cops" remained in its hour-long 8/7c block. However, protests from the public, law enforcement, and government officials, including the governors of 37 states, encouraged Fox to bring the show back, though low ratings for "Married..." and "Love and Marriage" ultimately sealed the return of "AMW". "Love and Marriage" was eventually canceled, and Married... was moved back to Sundays. In 1996, the show was retitled "America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back" which ran until 2003. For the next 15 years afterward, the "America's Most Wanted"/"COPS" combination made Saturday evening Fox’s most stable night, along with the longest unchanged primetime schedule on American television as of 2011. On March 6, 2010, Fox aired the 1000th episode of America's Most Wanted, and Walsh interviewed then President Barack Obama at the White House. In the interview, they discussed the Obama Administration's crime-fighting initiatives, as well as the impact the show has had on law enforcement and crime prevention. Covering criminals in the War on Terrorism The show expanded its focus to also cover criminals in the War on Terrorism when, on October 12, 2001 an episode aired featuring 22 most-wanted al-Qaeda operatives. The show was put together due to a request by White House aides after the same list of men had been released to the nation two days earlier. However, the first show that focused mainly on terrorism aired after the September 11 attacks and was two hours long. The move from Fox to Lifetime On May 16, 2011, Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly announced that after 23 years, America's Most Wanted (in its weekly format) would be canceled. The final weekly episode of the series aired on June 18, 2011, though Reilly said four two-hour specials would air on Fox in the fall 2011 television season. However, John Walsh said he was looking to other networks to keep the show going, saying he had "many, many offers" from other networks. Fox News Channel confirmed that its chairman Roger Ailes had been in preliminary discussions with Walsh about bringing the show to Fox News, but said "nothing has been decided." On the final Fox episode, Walsh promised to continue the show elsewhere and told the Associated Press: "I want to catch bad guys and find missing children—and we’re not done." During the 2010–2011 season, the show averaged an audience of five million. Within hours of Fox's announcement of the show's cancellation, campaigns to save the show were started by fans through Facebook and Twitter, among other social networking sites. In September 2011, it was announced that Lifetime had picked up America's Most Wanted from Fox and it began airing on the former on December 2, 2011. On March 13, 2012, Lifetime ordered an additional 20 episodes of the show; however, on March 28, 2013, it was announced that Lifetime had cancelled "America's Most Wanted." Category:FOX Shows Category:1980s television shows Category:1990s television shows Category:2000s television shows Category:2010s television shows